Copla is a Spanish popular song that compresses a small tragedy into a single track. Flamenco-derived melismatic vocals meet narrative lyrics that tell stories of abandoned women and forbidden love, with the singer delivering them in big, theatrical gestures. Guitar and orchestra provide dramatic swells and pauses, and the chorus always builds to an emotional explosion where the voice soars.

Copla took shape in the early 20th century as a storytelling song performed in revue theatres, blending Andalusian folk, flamenco, and the light operetta zarzuela. From the 1920s it spread nationwide via records and radio, and during the Franco dictatorship that followed the Civil War (from 1939) it became the most familiar everyday entertainment, sustaining the public's spirits.

Notice how the lyrics narrate a story in the third person, following a character's fate. The ornamented, melismatic singing, the free rubato tempo, and the dramatic climb at the chorus where the voice suddenly surges are the heart of copla. The moments when handclaps (palmas) and castanets enter are also worth catching.

Concha Piquer's 'Ojos Verdes' best conveys the classic copla form and is the easiest entry point. For a more powerful, ornate voice, try Rocío Jurado's 'Como una Ola.'

Because copla was seen as music symbolic of the Franco dictatorship, it was shunned for a while after democratization, but in recent years flamenco and modern pop singers have led a revival, passing its melodies on to younger generations.